


Authority Complex

by rumflavouredkisses



Category: Waking the Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-05
Updated: 2020-04-05
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:20:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 376
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23493100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rumflavouredkisses/pseuds/rumflavouredkisses
Summary: A minor ficlet inspired by a quote from Thomas Szasz, and Boyd's general demeanour.'A child becomes an adult when he realises that he has a right not only to be right but also to be wrong.'
Kudos: 6





	Authority Complex

**Author's Note:**

> “God you’re like a child.”
> 
> “No I’m worse. I’m a child with a badge"  
> \- The Hardest Word IV:5

“Why can’t you just say ‘I was wrong.”

At the sound of the female voice Boyd looked up to find Frankie stood in his doorway, watching him.

“Because I am never wrong,” he replied with quick smile and turned back to the work on his desk. Though he was being facetious he wasn’t in the mood to argue with anyone, or to have anyone argue with him. His plan of avoidance was purely to ignore whatever Frankie said next.

“God, Greta was right. You _are_ like a child”

At the young woman’s name he looked up again, considering it foul play to bring her into the conversation and ready to point this out. But he found himself staring at an empty doorway, Frankie having returned to wherever she came from.

For a moment he turned back to his desk, glad his plan had worked. But he couldn’t just let this one go and with a sigh, rose from his seat and headed to the main room. Upon entering he spied Frankie over by Mel’s desk, their heads bent over some papers.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“What’s what suppo…” Spence’s question was cut off by Frankie’s reply.

“You know exactly what it’s supposed to mean!”

“Then humor me.”

“You can’t ever admit you’re wrong. Even when you quite blatantly _are_. You’ll make a joke about it, or play it down, or pretend you never said it. You can’t just come out and say ‘I’m sorry, I made a mistake. Please forgive me because I was wrong”

The sound of raised voices had drawn Grace to her doorway, and now the whole team were watching the argument, waiting for Boyd to try [and fail] to defend himself. “I can and do admit when I’m wrong. And it's not childlike to be good at one’s job and thus not make many mistakes”

“’A child becomes an adult when he realises that he has a right not only to be right but also to be wrong.'” Grace called from the doorway, adding when Boyd turned to her. “Thomas Szasz”

Plastered across Frankie’s face was a victorious smile, and Boyd realised he wasn’t going to win, but before returning to his office he muttered.

“Psychologists. It's always about bloody childhood”


End file.
